COMPANY NEWS; BAYER RECEIVES APPROVAL FOR ONCE-DAILY FORM OF CIPRO

Bayer said yesterday that it had won regulatory approval in the United States for a higher-dose version of its once-daily Cipro antibiotic for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections. The German drug maker said the Food and Drug Administration had approved a 1,000 milligram form of Cipro XR, to be taken once a day for 7 to 14 days. Last year, the company won approval for a 500 milligram version of the drug, to be taken once daily for three days. Bayer will lose patent exclusivity on some of the standard doses of Cipro by the middle of next year at the latest, and analysts have said the new dosage could help stave off the effects of generic competition.